usb 2.0 and firewire adpter with Flex 3000 fast enough?

Pat Hamp

I am looking at purchasing a 3000 as a step up from the 1500. Older posts say the USB to Firewire adapter is too slow. But that was back in the day of USB 1.0.  2.0 is far faster and I am wondering if with the increased speed of 2.0 the USB to Fire wire adapter would work? Its difficult find a PC with it and requires an older laptop or desktop with an internal adapter. I have Lenovo M72 mini I really like and don't want to change it out. I am not averse to buying a USB 3.0 machine if that would work too. Advice, suggestions?

Thanks, PAT de KA4VNM

Rodney Ashcraft

I’ve not seen a solution yet after searching for years.. I was thinking about getting a 1500 myself and selling my 3000. I have a FireWire Card with it. Let me know if you are interested. KK4DID rodneyashcraft@gmail.com

Rodney Ashcraft

I hope you find a solution. It would be nice for the 3000 owners.

Bill -VA3WTB

If you have a slot, best to just install a firewire card....
I don't know the specs,,but the USB needs to handle the same amount of data the firewire can.

DH2ID

Pat, use a firewire card. All else won't work properly. Read this helpdesk article: https://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us/articles/206605796-Selecting-High-Performance-Firewire-Cards... 
Another nice solution is a notebook with integrated firewire port. I use them for EMCOMM. Both my Panasonic Toughbook CF-52 and my GETAC S400 firewire ports are fast enough.
Alex - DH2ID

Marty VK2VCC

Pat... Without reading the above. I have a 3000 and use a usb to firewire adaptor (externally) like a dongle setup. It connects it works and i have had seamless 3000 to pc to Log4om and vacs etc. Checkout the adaptors on ebay. Originally i had a mini firewire card on a pc tower setup. You wont have issues. My 3000 is 5yrs old now.. still goes strong. Vk2gib Marty

DH2ID

Marty, that's interesting. Can you give us the model brand and version of the fw to usb adapter? Do you use it with USB 3.0? Most of these adapters won't work at all. Alex - DH2ID

Pat Hamp

Awesome now I don't feel apprehensive about buying the 3000 I am looking at.

Pat.

Bill -VA3WTB

I hope it works for you. This is the reason they could not use USB as is on the 1500. The Fex 3000 has much more data to transfer then the 1500 does. So fire wire is used on the 3000 for that reason.

Tim - W4TME

There isn't an alternative solution to using the FLEX-5000 and FLEX-3000 with a non-native Firewire interface.  It will just not work if the 1394 bus is being emulated by a different physical interface.  It will also not work if the FIrewire interface is not 100% IEEE 1394 compliant too.  The only thing I have heard might work is a Thunderbolt interface with the Firewire connector.

Sherlock

I am also VERY interested in what exactly your "like a dongle" setup is. Is it a PCIe expansion box/chassis or something else?

Jay Nation

Yep, Me too, how about some details?

#Flexradio

73, Jay / NO5J

Pat Hamp

I think I am going to keep the 1500 and use it to replace my DX-394 in my home office. That way I can use it as an SWL receiver and be able to also track the bands so I can catch some DX while working. If that doesn't work out then I will be in touch. Its really a fun box. I have a FT-817 for QRP work so it would be excess at that point.

Pat Hamp

Actually the real reason was that I have one of the Lenovo micro PC's in the shack which takes up no space at all. Any PC that has a PCIe or other PCI slot is bigger. But now that I read all these responses I guess I will go buy a refurb from MicroCenter and put a fireware card in it and be done with it. The fact I won the auction at $700 for the 3000 gives me some head room. Plus I have an FTDX1200 to unload that will more than cover the expense and nice new big monitor so I can run two screens. That will give the FTDX-3000 and the Flex which should give me pretty nice contesters shack when you toss in the NRD 515 I have. Thanks to all for your guidance. Pat

Pat Hamp

Good news. I purchased a real nice refurbished Dell Optiplex I-5 and a Firewire card for it. Loaded up PowerSDR latest and off she went almost completely plug and play! Been having fun with contester's today and getting used to the differences between the 3000 and 1500. Now all I have to do is repair the BNC that got damaged in transit. Found the part assume I can just unscrew the components from the heat sink and the board screws then reinstall with new heat sink grease. Its operable now after some fine "tuning " of the damaged connector with a jewelers pliers. A piece is broken off the cylinder of the connector but I managed to get the adapter to SO-239 on it for now. The only thing that caught by surprise is the need for a powered speaker which the 1500 didn't need. Had a spare powered monitor speaker which will work for now. This is a really fine radio, I can't image how good the new ones are. Thanks all for the advice!


Bill -VA3WTB

Has been a while since I looked in my Flex 3000. I don't think the connector is directly on the heat sink. I believe the connectors are soldered to the board right behind the back plate.
Glad you did get another computer, you should have very few problems going foreword.

Pat Hamp

The board the connector is on the board which has components tied to the heat sink with what appear to be screws to bind them to it. Looks to be a couple of voltage regulators and the finals.

Pat